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I knew I was unaffected by his pleas and looked around me to check the other faces close by. I could see instantly that everyone felt the same.
‘This gun could end your pain, Enzo… all you have to do is to answer our questions,’ Alessio tried again.
Enzo had been badly beaten, stripped and was now in the process of being tortured for answers and ultimately his confession.
Looking around the side of Salvatore again, I took in where several knives had been taken to Enzo. He was bleeding from all over his body. Working as a tag team our two families had sliced into his skin, time after time.
They hadn’t thrust their knives in deep.
No. Just as Salvatore and I had once had a conversation about, they’d sliced off the surface of his skin, exposing a greater number of nerve endings and causing his pain to be more acute. They had very deliberately taken their time. He’d screamed and pissed himself with every incision, until his bladder had been emptied and he’d slumped forward as he lost consciousness.
Again and again, they repeated the words, ‘This is for every innocent you’ve harmed.’ And they had all told him their name, so he could be in no doubt as to just who was causing his agony.
Then, about thirty minutes ago, he had owned up to touching and confronting me and to taking, beating, and assaulting Mia. I’d watched as my papa had lifted his head to watch the retribution Alessio and Salvatore had reeked on him in consequence. Their fists and feet had flown into him over and over, until his cries had become like a continuous background noise like the air-conditioning above us.
Then we’d let him be.
Deliberately, he’d been offered some sips of water and allowed to think over the situation he was in.
At that point Salvatore had turned away from the task and led me outside. It had been a relief to step back into the sunshine. To breathe the clean, fresh air. I’d understood immediately why we’d stepped outside alone; it was so Salvatore could check I was okay.
‘Little bird?’ he’d questioned as he wrapped one arm around my waist and lifted my chin up with his thumb and forefinger to look into my eyes.
‘I’m okay,’ I answered.
‘Yeah?’
‘Yes.’ I swallowed as I nodded my head at him and tried to smile.
‘You understand he won’t be leaving here alive, don’t you?’
‘Yes.’ I pushed my hair off my face, grateful for the distraction and tied it back with the scrunchie I’d deliberately worn around my wrist. ‘I’d be disappointed if he did. I know he will never get over his vendetta against me and you, and if he’s alive we would have to constantly look over our shoulders… I don’t want that.’
‘Come.’ Salvatore placed his arm over my shoulders and appeased that I was okay, he’d gone over his rules again to check I still understood.
Whatever happened I was to stay behind him, so close he could touch me. Close enough to sense my heart beating.
Then he led us both back inside and here we were, back for the finale.
I understood just how much all of us in the small room needed the answer.
Was he also the man who had taken Salvatore’s mama?
Salvatore’s dress shoes connecting with the resin floor, and effectively signalling we were back, had every pair of eyes in the room, apart from Enzo’s, snap instantly up to find us.
With a nod of Salvatore’s head, Bruno slapped Enzo’s face to wake him, and he begun to mumble incoherently.
‘Where did you take Lia Ranieri?’ Salvatore asked, purposefully sounding out each word.
When Enzo made no response, Aldo emptied a bucket of prepared iced water over the top of him. Once again Enzo screamed as he woke from his enforced unconscious state.
‘Where did you take my mama?’ Salvatore demanded.
‘No, please, no.’
‘I will ask you again, Enzo Ferraro. Where did you take my mama?’ Salvatore repeated.
‘I didn’t. I never took her…. Please, Don De Luca, I’m not the man you’re looking for.’
